A Utah Division of Water Resources (DNWR) conservation team spent Thursday, May 19 in several locations in Price, flipping the park strips in the community to water-wise landscapes as part of its second Flip Blitz campaign.
As the drought continues to intensify in Utah, the search for simple ways to save water has become urgent. In an effort to water wisely, Price City jumped on board to beautify the grassy area between the curb and the sidewalk, known as park strips, that surround the Price City Fire Department and Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum into a water-efficient, natural landscape. The total area for this project was 5,256 sq. ft.
“By doing projects like this, we are planting water-wise plants that use less water, extend our supplies and make us more resilient to drought conditions,” said Conservation Coordinator Josh Zimmerman.
USU Eastern also restored 6,000 sq. ft. of its park strips at the front of the campus with native plants, nutrient soil, gravel and an efficient drip line. The total Flip Blitz project in the Price area reached 11,256 sq. ft. of park strips that were converted.
“USU Eastern has really evolved, both here and on campus, with this idea of removing these park strips from high-use lawn to more natural landscapes,” said Tim Riley, Prehistoric Museum Director and Curator of Archaeology.
This project was not completed single-handedly. Price City partnered with DNWR conservation team for planning, USU Eastern, the Prehistoric Museum, Ward Landscaping for the plants and nutrient soil, and Pinnacle Canyon Academy for volunteers during the excavation.
“We are excited to be a part of this,” said Wes Ward, owner of Ward Landscaping. “We live in the desert, so anytime we can save water, it is a good thing to do.”
DNWR’s representatives worked onsite during the project, beautifying the park strip under the Utah Raptor statue. Meanwhile, Price City Park and Cemetery employees, along with Ward, Riley and students from Pinnacle Academy, restored the area in front of the Price City Fire Department.
“[It is] an honor and a privilege to be head of the project,” said Grayson Tucker with Price City Parks and Cemetery. “It is good to see that we are all thinking of wise ways to use our water.”
Price was not the only area in Utah flipping park strips on Thursday. The Flip Blitz campaign spanned the state of Utah with flips taking place in Weber and Davis counties (9,280 sq. ft.), Utah County (2,190 sq. ft.) and Washington County (102,667 sq. ft.). A total of 120,441 sq. ft of grassy park strips were converted in effort to make a difference in the state’s water supply.
Grassy park strips have been identified as harmful landscapes to Utah’s water supply due to the area being hard to water efficiently and often resulting in wet sidewalk and wasted water. DNWR’s Flip Blitz campaign aims to raise awareness about how small landscape changes can make a big difference.
“You guys are building your community,” concluded Zimmerman. “You are making it stronger, better today.”
